The One With The Vision Quests
by amorfati
Summary: inserting a bit of soap opera drama into the happy-go-lucky Friends universe
1. TOW The Vision Quests - Ch. 1

Author's Notes: First of all, this is most definitely not an original idea for a story. I've seen several other fanfic authors use this type of plotline, probably better than I'll be able to. However, I've tried to make it as original as I possibly can. Secondly, I am admittedly biased toward my favorite Friends character, Chandler, but I've made an attempt to write the rest of them in here as much as I can. And I've tried to sprinkle in some humor, too. And thirdly, I would appreciate any and all feedback. Thanks.  
  
Timeline: During S8.  
  
Spoilers: If you don't know - and don't want to know - what happened during the S7 finale, you probably shouldn't read.  
  
Disclaimer: The characters you recognize don't belong to me; I'm just borrowing them and I promise to put them right back where I found them when I'm done.  
  
  
  
I"A vision quest. is an experience recognizing the human need to deeply integrate the internal change necessary in times of transition." ~govisionquest.com/I  
  
  
  
The One With The Vision Quests  
  
Chapter One  
  
***  
  
  
  
"Mr. Bing, there's a Dana Hinsley here to see you," came his secretary's disembodied voice through the intercom.  
  
Chandler looked up from his computer, a frown crossing his face. He knew he didn't have any appointments this morning, and the name didn't ring a bell.  
  
"She says it's urgent," Helen added after a moment.  
  
He straightened in his chair, debating, then shrugged and pressed the button. "Okay, send her in," he said, his curiosity getting the better of him.  
  
As he waited, he glanced at the clock. Nearly lunchtime, and he was supposed to meet Rachel at some new Thai restaurant a few blocks from here. She'd been having cravings for spicy food lately, and Monica wisely informed him to just go along with it. At least it wasn't pickles and ice cream.  
  
The door swung open, and Helen ushered a young woman inside. It wasn't until his secretary had retreated back into the outer office that Chandler realized a little face was peering out at him from behind his visitor. A little face with bright blue eyes and a shock of light blond hair.  
  
He stood up and began to make his way around the desk, his forehead creasing in puzzlement. "Can I help you?" he asked. The blond woman lifted her head to gaze directly at him, and that was when his heart seemed to skip a beat.  
  
Oh god.  
  
"So you do remember," said Dana Hinsley, correctly interpreting the frozen expression on his face.  
  
"I - I -" he stuttered for a moment, leaning heavily against the desk. He took a breath, pulling himself together. "Yes. I remember," he said quietly. "What can I do for you, Dana?"  
  
She leveled her clear, green gaze at him, and in that moment he remembered what had given him the nerve to ask her home with him that one night. She was pretty, but her eyes were luminous.  
  
"Chandler," she said slowly. "We need to talk." 


	2. TOW The Vision Quests - Ch. 2

The One With The Vision Quests  
  
Chapter One  
  
***  
  
  
  
For about the twentieth time in the past ten minutes, Rachel found herself looking at her watch. It wasn't often that she had lunch alone - in fact, she tried to avoid it at all costs - but it had been a half hour since she'd first been seated, and Chandler had yet to arrive.  
  
Ever since her career had taken off - first at Bloomingdale's, and now at Ralph Lauren - she and Chandler had taken advantage of the fact that they worked only a few blocks apart. They had lunch together several times a week, sometimes joined by Monica or Ross - once in awhile by Phoebe or Joey - but usually, since they kept similar schedules, it was just the two of them. And that was fine. They were good friends - comfortable and familiar, after eight years - and it was generally a pleasant interlude in the middle of an otherwise tedious (in Chandler's case) or hectic (in her case) workday. And ever since she'd announced her pregnancy, Chandler had been especially solicitous, sometimes going so far as to meet her outside Ralph Lauren with a taxi - although she suspected Ross might have something to do with that.  
  
But needless to say, Chandler's tardiness today was not only out of character, it was downright unusual.  
  
"Can I get you anything else, ma'am?"  
  
Rachel glanced up to see the young waitress smiling sympathetically down at her. The empty seat across the table and the ice melting in an untouched glass of diet coke with lemon - Chandler's usual drink - suddenly seemed glaringly obvious.  
  
"I'm fine, thanks," she said. She nodded toward the empty seat. "And, uh, he really should be here any minute now. I have no idea what's keeping him."  
  
The waitress continued to smile politely, nodding as she turned and walked back toward the kitchen.  
  
"How embarrassing," Rachel muttered, lifting her napkin from her lap and flinging it onto the table in disgust. "I can't believe I'm eating alone. This is like my worst nightmare." She paused, darting a quick glance at the other patrons, who were thankfully paying her no attention. "And now, of course, I'm talking to myself..."  
  
Why hadn't he just called? It was the 21st century; she was programmed into his Nokia's speed dial, for god's sake.  
  
Maybe she should call him and give him a piece of her mind. Rachel Green did not appreciate being stood up.  
  
Almost as if on cue, her cell phone vibrated in her jacket pocket. She jumped slightly, then took it out and flipped it open. "Hello," she said quickly.  
  
"Hey, Rach." Well, instead of one Bing, she'd gotten the other.  
  
"Mon. Hi."  
  
"I hope I'm not disturbing you... you're still at lunch, right?"  
  
"Uh huh," Rachel said grimly.  
  
"Great. Can you put Chandler on for a second, please? I've been trying to reach him but for some reason his cell phone is turned off."  
  
Rachel raised an eyebrow. "I'd be glad to put him on, Mon, if he were here."  
  
There was a pause. "He's not there?"  
  
"Nope. Never showed."  
  
Monica hesitated. "Well that's strange," she murmured. "There was no answer at his office, either. Maybe he just got held up somewhere."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Rachel said, frowning. "I've never known him to turn off his phone before, though."  
  
"Unless he's in a meeting," Monica said.  
  
"True."  
  
Monica sighed. "Look. If he does get there, or if you run into him or anything, could you just tell him to call me? I'm at work."  
  
"Sure, Mon. I'll see you tonight."  
  
"Okay, bye." Monica hung up the phone quickly, and Rachel slowly turned hers off and slipped it back in her pocket. Her friend had sounded calm, but Rachel could tell by the hurried way she hung up that she was worried.  
  
Rachel was pretty sure now that it was nothing. Probably Chandler had just gotten caught in a meeting. And as long as he apologized to her and maybe bought her a little gift - chocolates would be nice - she decided she'd go easy on him for ditching her. 


	3. TOW The Vision Quests - Ch. 3

The One With The Vision Quests  
  
Chapter Three  
  
***  
  
  
  
When Joey arrived home from his audition around five o'clock, he was a little surprised to find Chandler sitting in one of the loungers in his living room. Granted, it wasn't unusual for them to hang out in each other's apartments, but his friend was simply staring off into space, his tie loosened and his shirtsleeves rolled up. His suit jacket was nowhere to be seen.  
  
"Chandler?" Joey paused just inside the door, waiting until his friend turned and acknowledged him. He smiled uneasily and began to take off his jacket. "Hey, man. What are you doing here?"  
  
Chandler was silent for a long moment, then he opened his mouth as if to speak but no sound came out. Finally he swallowed. "Just sittin. Thinkin," he responded, a little hoarsely.  
  
"Yeah?" Joey was puzzled. He decided to play it light. "Can't you do that in your own apartment?" he kidded him. "You know, the one with the gorgeous woman who makes you dinner every night?"  
  
Nothing. Chandler's expression didn't even change. "She's not home," he said, monotone.  
  
Uh-oh. Trouble in paradise?  
  
"Did you guys have a fight?" Joey asked cautiously.  
  
"No." Chandler glanced down, picking a piece of lint off his pants and studying the wedding ring on his hand as though he'd never seen it before. "Not yet, anyway. I have no idea how Monica's going to react when I tell her..." His voice faded, and for some reason he looked up toward Rachel's closed bedroom door.  
  
Joey approached, crouching down beside the chair. "Tell her what, man?" he asked quietly.  
  
Chandler took a deep breath. He didn't meet Joey's eyes. "You remember back a few years ago, after... Kathy and I broke up. "  
  
Joey's eyes widened. "Oh my god, you slept with Kathy! You slept with Kathy again, didn't you?"  
  
"No!" Chandler glared at him. "Jesus. One, I haven't even Iseen/I Kathy since we broke up, and two, are you crazy?! You think I would cheat on Monica?"  
  
Joey had the decency to look ashamed. "Okay, okay. Sorry. Go on."  
  
Chandler blew out his breath in annoyance. "Fine. Okay. It was a couple of months after Kathy and I broke up, and I... I went out to a bar one night, had a few drinks..."  
  
"Yeah?" Joey waggled his eyebrows suggestively, but quickly sobered when he saw the look his friend was giving him.  
  
"Anyway, I - I brought someone back here. I don't know if you met her, I don't even remember if I told you about her... it was just a one night thing, she left the next morning and I never saw her again."  
  
Joey frowned, deep in thought. "What's her name?"  
  
"Dana Hinsley." Chandler's voice cracked slightly.  
  
Remembrance dawned. "Ohhh. Wait. Blond hair, big eyes, great legs?"  
  
"Yeah," Chandler said wryly. "I guess you do remember."  
  
"Yeah, I met her," Joey said, nodding.  
  
"You did?"  
  
"Yeah, when she was leaving in the morning. I had to get up pretty early for an audition, so I made her pancakes. Nice girl."  
  
Chandler's expression was a mixture of amusement and disbelief. "You guys talked?"  
  
Joey shrugged. "Sure. Why not? I would've hit on her, but I figured you might have gotten pissed. Anyway, she was like a writer or something like that, right?"  
  
"Yeah. Now she's an editor for a magazine out in Los Angeles."  
  
Joey looked at him. "Now? You mean - "  
  
"I ran into her today," Chandler said evenly, looking away again.  
  
"Wow. Where at?"  
  
"My office," Chandler said wryly.  
  
Joey stared at him for a long moment before he got it. "She came to see you?"  
  
"This morning."  
  
"Did she want to, like...?" He gestured.  
  
"No, Joey." Chandler rolled his eyes. "She's married now."  
  
Joey frowned. "Huh. So what did she want?"  
  
"Well, that would be the $64,000 question, Joe," Chandler said under his breath. He nodded toward Rachel's room again. "And the answer, believe it or not, is behind door number one."  
  
To Be Continued (after I take my finals.) 


	4. TOW The Vision Quests - Ch. 4

AN: I decided to take a break from studying and post this next, abbreviated chapter, cause it was almost finished anyway. It was so hard to tear myself away from the calculus, though. /sarcasm I'll update more next week and hopefully the story will start to come together. I'm trying not to reveal too much, too soon. Thank you for the reviews; I wasn't expecting any! (  
  
The One With The Vision Quests  
  
Chapter Four  
  
***  
  
  
  
"Hey, Mon, hey, Rach," Ross said, stepping into Chandler and Monica's apartment later that evening. His sister was seated at the kitchen table flipping through a magazine, and Rachel was relaxing on the couch. She opened her eyes when he came in.  
  
"Hi," they replied, sounding bored.  
  
Ross raised an eyebrow. "What's up?" he asked, removing his coat and tossing it onto the kitchen table. At Monica's glare, he picked it up again and hung it on the coat rack.  
  
"Nothing much," Monica said flatly. "I'm still waiting for Chandler to get home. Rachel's napping. And Phoebe's out on the balcony."  
  
Ross glanced out the window. Phoebe was huddled on one of the chairs, bundled up in a coat and scarf.  
  
"What the hell is she doing out there?" he asked. "It's like eighteen degrees with the wind chill."  
  
"She's on a vision quest," Monica explained. "It's something she read about in some Native American magazine."  
  
"Yeah, she's seeking her 'direction in life,'" Rachel said. She smirked. "Five more minutes out there and the only direction she's going to be heading is right back inside."  
  
Ross gave them an incredulous look. "I know what a vision quest is. You have to go on a journey and - and escape every day life. You have to fast. You have to commune with nature. She's expecting spiritual inspiration from a balcony in Manhattan? The closest she's going to get to nature is that stupid fake plant that Chandler keeps hiding out there."  
  
Monica gasped. "I knew it! I knew he took it again! Why would he put it out on the balcony?!" She stood up and marched over to the window, throwing it open and climbing outside.  
  
"Maybe because it's incredibly ugly?" Rachel said under her breath.  
  
"Hey, Carol and Susan gave them that plant for their wedding present," Ross told her, walking into the kitchen and getting himself a glass of water.  
  
"Ross, please, it looks like something out of Little Shop of Horrors," Rachel said.  
  
Ross shrugged. "I know, it creeps me out too. That was just a token objection on my lesbian ex-wife's behalf." He took a long sip of water and Rachel settled back on the couch and closed her eyes again. "Hey, how you feeling today?"  
  
"Mmm, okay," Rachel murmured, eyes still shut. "Aside from the fact that my computer froze about seventeen times at work, and Chandler stood me up at lunch."  
  
"He what?" said Ross.  
  
"He never showed up."  
  
"Wow." Ross considered this. "So you ate by yourself?"  
  
She opened her eyes and glared at him. "Yes, Ross. I actually had lunch by myself. Why don't you just call up Katie and Matt and have them do a story tomorrow? 'Local Woman Conquers Social Phobia; Dines Alone.'" Her voice was heavy with sarcasm.  
  
"Wait, so now you're Ichanneling/I my brother-in-law?" Ross was amused.  
  
"Sorry," Rachel muttered. "It's the hormones. But if everyone would stop acting so damn surprised --"  
  
Just then the door flew open, and Joey peeked his head in. He glanced around furtively, eyes darting from side to side.  
  
Rachel and Ross stared at him.  
  
"Joey?" Rachel asked slowly, at last. "You have the right apartment..."  
  
"Yeah, remember us? We're your friends. I'm Ross, and this is Rachel... and Monica and Phoebe are outside..."  
  
"Monica's outside?" Joey interrupted him. He looked out the windows, and visibly winced when he saw her.  
  
"What the hell is the matter?" Ross asked him. "Why don't you come inside?"  
  
"Uh, yeah... okay," Joey said distractedly. He retreated into the hallway and shut the door.  
  
Ross and Rachel looked at each other.  
  
"Anyway," Rachel said, continuing where she'd left off, "it just bugs me that you people think I'm so incapable of being independent. Even after all this time! I mean, come on." She began ticking off on her fingers. "I'm a career woman. I do NOT live with my parents. I have a good income. I have a savings account. I'm fairly responsible about spending money. I'm going to be raising a child, for god's sake -"  
  
"Well, good thing, because now you'll always have someone to eat lunch with," Ross said, smirking. "At least until little Rossel hits puberty and wouldn't be caught dead in public with you."  
  
"Ross, that is so not true, this child is always going to love spending time with me because I, Rachel Green, am going to be the world's hippest Mom." She paused. "And would you Istop/I calling our child that, it is sooo stupid!"  
  
"And calling yourself the 'world's hippest mom' isn't?" Ross snarked.  
  
"Ross! Would you just stop being so ignorant and bring me a glass of water," Rachel said in a commanding tone.  
  
"Yes, Your Majesty," Ross said under his breath, grabbing another glass from the cabinet.  
  
There was a heavy thud as Monica came back inside, dropping the potted plant on the floor. "Can you believe it was actually under the table, all the way back in the corner?" she said, panting slightly.  
  
"Yeah, next time he should just toss it over the side," Rachel muttered.  
  
"What?" Monica asked loudly.  
  
"I said, I'm so glad you brought it back inside!" Rachel said brightly. She accepted the glass of water Ross handed her.  
  
"That's what I thought you said," Monica muttered.  
  
Everyone looked over as Phoebe climbed back through the window, shutting it behind her and examining her hands, which were a bloodless white. "Wow, this is so cool," she commented. "I can't feel any of my fingers."  
  
"Phoebe, where are your gloves?" Monica exclaimed, hands on her hips.  
  
Phoebe stared at her. "Gosh, Mom, I guess I must have left them in my locker at school," she said.  
  
Rachel smothered a smile.  
  
"Phoebs, what the hell do you think you're doing? Did you actually read past the first three lines explaining what a 'vision quest' was?"  
  
"Yes, Ross, I read the whole article, Iand/I I did research on the Internet at Chandler's work," Phoebe said calmly, unwrapping her scarf and shivering as she adjusted to the sudden warmth of being indoors. "And I wasn't seeking spiritual clarity out Ithere/I. I was preparing myself for my actual vision quest."  
  
"Your 'actual' vision quest? Where is that -"  
  
Ross was interrupted when the door to the apartment opened once more. Chandler stood there, looking rumpled and tired. "You ARE all here," he said, as everyone turned to look at him. He sounded less than thrilled.  
  
  
  
To Be Continued.. 


End file.
